SNUPI raises fresh cash for home sensors that detect water leaks in homes

SNUPI Technologies, the University of Washington spin out led by entrepreneur Jeremy Jaech and computer scientist Shwetak Patel, has scored $2.2 million in additional financing as part of $3 million convertible debt round. The funding, largely provided by existing investors such as Madrona, WRF Capital and Seattle area angel investors, brings total funding in the company to $11.5 million.

Wally sensor under a sink

Jaech says that SNUPI — which is developing the Wally device to detect water leaks near toilets, showers, water heaters and other devices in the home — plans to head out for a larger series B financing round early next year. “We are giving ourselves more runway,” said Jaech, who previously co-founded Visio (sold to Microsoft) and Aldus (sold to Adobe).

Jaech said demand is strong for the $299 system, with the company recently getting picked up for sale on Amazon.com. Other distribution channels are in the works, with a slate of announcements set for the fall and winter.

Wally is a unique device.

No batteries are needed, with the system set to work continuously for 10 years. It does this by bypassing traditional Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections, instead using the copper wiring in the walls of a home as an antenna.

The Insurance Information Institute estimated that 14 million homeowners suffered from damage due to water, freezing and mold in 2011, which resulted in $11 billion in property loss.

SNUPI co-founder Jeremy Jaech

Started with technology from the UW and Georgia Tech, SNUPI is an acronym that stands for Sensor Network Utilizing Powerline Infrastructure.

The 25-person company is in a hot space, given the recent buzz around Internet-connected devices, also known as the Internet of Things.

Earlier this year, Google paid $3.2 billion in cash for digital thermostat and smoke detector maker Nest, though the company shortly thereafter stopped selling its Nest Protect smoke detector due to a malfunctioning alert system. In June, Google gobbled up Dropcam for $555 million, a maker of cameras that allowed home owners to check on their properties while away.

John Cook is GeekWire's co-founder and publisher, a veteran reporter and the longest-serving journalist on the Pacific Northwest tech beat. Follow him @johnhcook and email john@geekwire.com.